Clashes break out in Sambhal of UP, 3 killed, 20 police personnel injured

New Delhi, November 25

Violent clashes broke out in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal when a group protested a court-ordered survey of a mosque, following a complaint alleging that a temple was demolished by the Mughals to construct the mosque. 

Three men were killed, primarily due to bullet wounds, while around 20 police personnel, including the SP’s public relations officer, sustained injuries from bullet fragments and have been admitted to a local hospital

The dead were identified as Naeem, a resident of Kot Kurvi locality; Bilal of Sarai Tareen; and Numan of Hayat Nagar in Sambhal. 

Hundreds of protesters gathered near the Shahi Jama Masjid as the survey team arrived, opposing the survey. The situation escalated when the crowd began pelting stones at the survey team, despite heavy police presence. In response, police used tear gas shells to disperse the mob and restore order.

The police stated that the clashes erupted when a court-appointed advocate commissioner and six members of his team entered the mosque for a second survey. The first survey, ordered by the court, was conducted on November 19, after a priest moved an application claiming that a temple once stood at the mosque site and that it was demolished in the 16th Century.

The police have launched a search operation to nab the accused involved. The police will press the charges under the National Security Act (NSA).